Cloths that don’t make you sweat it

"Fear not, there are lightweight summer suits that look great and leave you unruffled through every meeting."

Staying cool in summer is easier said than done, particularly when you have to wear a suit to work each day. Fear not, there are lightweight summer suits that look great and leave you unruffled through every meeting. The beauty of tailor-made is that you can plan ahead your summer wardrobe and address the heat head on.

The key to keeping cool is in the suit's fabrication. Winter cloths are heavier and designed to keep us warm. A summer suit should have the opposite effect, keeping the wearer cool by being able to breathe. Light suit fabric means a more comfortable wear each day. Lightweight wools are the perfect balance of traditional tailoring and comfort. Available in high-quality cloths, a standard wool business suit can feel as light and airy as a kaftan. From plain cloths to textured weaves, wool cloth has increased breathability and is soft to the touch.

Another approach to the warm-weather quandary is a cotton suit. A fashionable choice, cotton has the expected breathable qualities along with a crisp texture. Cotton suits needn't be lairy; a beige, navy or grey suit can still look professional while keeping you cool. A crisp white tailor-made shirt and a knitted silk tie under a cotton suit is a fresh look, nicely finished with leather business shoes.

Linen is another way to keep cool and stay stylish. Gone are the days of dowdy, ill-fitting linen suits; made-to-measure creates spectacular garments from some of the world’s best cloths. Woven from the flax plant, linen is characterised by fibres with exceptional breathability. Modern linen cloth comes in a full range of colours—from rust to sage—and is resistant to creasing. A linen suit is excellent with a brown or tan pair of shoes, such as monk-strap loafers in suede or leather.

Another premium option is mohair. Made from the wool of the Angora goat, its properties allow it to breathe much more than wool from a sheep. For two and three-piece suits, or for an elegant blazer, mohair is the choice for discerning men. The lightweight nature of the cloth and the density of the fibres resist creasing and have a lustre like no other suit cloth.

Talk to your tailor about creating a wardrobe to last beyond the season. Looking your best is simple, staying cool is a cinch.